Étiquette : how to get a french visa

The question people ask me most is how I ended up living in Europe, what I do for work, how I got here, and how long it took me. The truth is, it’s so easy, but most people just don’t do it because they don’t take the time to research what’s out there, or they are afraid to leave their every day life at home and at work. When I was living in the US, I was working a good job and living with friends and family, but I knew something was missing. I had studied abroad in Paris and was still finding ways to practice French every day. Actually, my favorite part of my job was speaking French with the international clients. I had saved up money and I decided I needed to make a change. My friend who was living in Paris told me about being an Au Pair, which is a nanny who teaches English to the children in exchange for living with a family. I made a detailed profile on the website she sent me and listed France as my country of interest, and immediately started getting messages from different families, as there is high need for au pairs in France. Within a week I spoke with my au pair family and skyped them, and within 2 weeks we agreed that I would come to France. I started this whole process in early August, and by mid September my visa was approved, flights booked, and I was moving to one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. I definitely got lucky with an amazing family and beautiful, sweet, smart children. Along with teaching my children, I teach English to other people in person and online. It’s not for everyone, and it was definitely a difficult transition to go from my full time office job to the au pair wage, along with going from living on my own to living a family lifestyle again. However it is definitely the best decision I have ever made, has allowed me to improve my French at a speed that I never would have been able to in the US, and has brought me some of the best friends and experiences.